archive for September, 2010

I own blue and white dishes. Normally this isn’t a problem—until I try to find a cute tablecloth that looks good with my dishes. Apparently, blue as a kitchen or dining color has been out for several seasons. The market is flooded with red, green, and aqua. Instead of waiting for blue to come back in, I took matters into my own hands. First I checked the standard tablecloth size for my 36- x 60-inch table. Turns out, a 60- x 84-inch cloth fits tables 36 x 60 to 48 x 72. Then I found this lovely blue indoor/outdoor fabric at Fabric.com. At 56 inches wide, I figured it would work fine because my table was on the smaller end of that range. After that, hemming the fabric and adding pom-pom trim was a cinch. Final dimensions (pom-pom to pom-pom): 57 x 81 inches. Read more »

You missed it, didn’t you? Admit it. I didn’t expect everyone to actually read all 137 handmade Christmas gift ideas anyway. So I wanted to make sure you didn’t miss out on No. 124. Having experienced a death in the family this year, the thought occurred to me that one should not wait until a funeral to share one’s fondest memories of a certain someone. So I designed the “Top 10 Fondest Memories” certificate for you to download, print (on legal size paper), fill out, tie with a ribbon, and give to a loved one for Christmas.

This is the final part of my list of 137 inexpensive, handmade holiday gift ideas, and we’re down to these two categories: 1) Media & services and 2) Cards & wrapping. I included cards and wrapping because oftentimes they are just as important as the gift itself. I hope you found this monster-of-a-list entertaining and helpful. Click here for Part 6. Check out these stocking stuffer ideas for kids too.

Part 7: Media & services

lifestyle.msn.com

120. A friend or relative who enjoys poetry, famous quotes, or sayings would relish one of his/her favorites written in calligraphy or hand-painted in a frame or on a plaque.Another way to frame a quote

121. For your elders, research newspaper and magazine articles from their youth and present in a scrapbook. Or collect newspaper articles from the year they were born.Find your local library

124. Why wait for a funeral to share your fondest memories? Give a top 10 list of your fondest memories of the recipient. Download my official certificate, print it on quality legal size paper, write your memories, roll it up, and tie a baby blue ribbon around it.Download the official certificate

You thought I forgot about the kiddies, didn’t you? Well today’s inexpensive, handmade Christmas gift ideas are all about the young and the young-at-heart. The list includes everything from handmade play dough to a club-house kit, my personal favorite. Click here for Part 5. On Wednesday: Media/services and cards/wrapping.

Part 6: For children

alphamom.com

100. Make bath time fun: Embed a small toy or your child’s favorite cartoon character in a bar of snow globe soap. Or make a bath bomb out of baking soda and citric acid.Snow globe soapBath bomb surprise

105. Give your children scrap wood, cardboard, shingles, hammer, nails, non-toxic paint, paint brushes, etc. for building a club house, and a map that shows where it can be built. 9 pc Children’s Tool Kit

Personally selected gift sets are a great way to give a meaningful present without spending hours crafting. And they’re especially handy when the container is part of the gift. You’ll probably find ample baskets to choose from at your local thrift store. But even though the traditional gift basket is a solid choice, who says it has to be a basket? I’ve pictured many different containers to choose from, but don’t let me limit you. You can pack a gift set in anything—rubber rain boots, baseball helmet, paint can, etc. Click here for Part 4. On Monday: For children.

Part 5: Themed gift sets

anthropologie.com

77. Fill a pretty mug, bowl, or dish with a friend’s favorite chocolates or other treats. Wrap in cellophane and tie with holiday ribbon.Anthropologie monogrammed mugs

80. For someone who is on their feet a lot, gather foot salts, pumice or clay stone, peppermint foot lotion, sleep socks, pedicure toe separators, and a pair of spa slippers. Pack it all in an inexpensive tote bag.
Clear zippered tote bag

Part 4 of this ongoing list of inexpensive, handmade holiday gift ideas comprises two categories: 1) stationery, albums & calendars and 2) jewelry & personal accessories. Those two crafting categories are probably the most popular on the web, so I had a ton to choose from. These are some of my favorites. Click here for Part 3. On Friday: Themed gift sets.

58. Order a custom rubber stamp. Design it yourself to reflect the person’s hobby, profession, or interest. Or use a piece of free clip art (just Google “free clip art”). Or you can personalize a ready-made stamp with a name or address.Custom rubber stampReady-made stamps